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Don't think that because you live in the inner city with limited garden
space or even just a balcony that your green thumb is doomed to wither.

The Nature Conservation Council of NSW is running a free workshop series called Growing Food in Small Spaces to encourage you to turn your patio or courtyard into a mini food bowl.

"A lot of people think they can't grow herbs and vegetables because they live in a flat or a townhouse, but it is amazing how much fresh produce you can harvest from a small balcony or courtyard," says workshop coordinator Louise Kiddell. "The secret is to understand the importance of good soils and to think creatively about the way you use the space available.

"We have made the workshops as interactive and hands-on as possible so that people will see how fun and easy it is to grow edible plants. We hope to really inspire people to get growing at home."

Workshop 1: Supercharge Your Soil

Workshop host, urban horticulturalist Emma Daniell, says healthy soil is essential for successful gardening. Healthy soil, full of worms and microbes, equals happy, healthy plants. Unearth the secrets of this dynamic underground ecosystem and learn how to harness its productive power for healthier plants.

Workshop 2: Let's Grow Up!

Vertical Gardening If you don't have the space to spread out, then grow up! Learn the basics of building and maintaining vertical food gardens from PVC pipe, and transform your bare balcony walls and backyard fences. Look at bare balcony walls and back fences through a new lens and learn how to use small spaces innovatively. You will learn the basics of building and maintaining vertical food gardens, including a demonstration of how to build one from PVC pipe.

Workshop 3: From Patio to Pesto

Delicious meals can come direct from your balcony garden. Learn how easy it is to grow a thriving balcony basil and use it to whip up delicious homemade pesto. The workshops will be held in Glebe, Green Square and Redfern in September, October and November.